Dropper stopper



July 27, 1943.

s. D. SWIl-IART DROPPER STOPPER Filed July 8, 1940 7'61 @wo 9 I 4 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 27, 194-3 UN D ' tiara Starr-ER- 1 Stewart D. Swih'art; Fort W' h Fred Zieg, Fort I g H K g V I Anaemi -gs;1940,.s a 0..:3i4;3a, q:

a a iii-martian;

This invention: relates to improvements. in :a dropper stopper. for. use in withdrawing :small quantities nfsliquid from a container 2.1111110 close the container. w pm Ordinarily, dropperqstoppers having arubber bulb,.a .glass dropper tube anda bottle cap con-1' nected together-become broken, 1 or.v the bulbv is easily ruptured "around :its neck which-renders its operation inefiective, betweenthe'tube andthe bulb becomes loose, or the joint between the neck of the bulb and the bottle cap becomes defective and therefore causes failure of the device to seal the bottle hermetically when the stopper is applied to the bottle neck.

An'object of the present invention is to con structthe parts of a dropper stopper so that tight joints are made between the neck of the bulb and the dropper tube, and between the bulb, the bottle cap and the liner thereby to hold all of the parts permanently together in a substantial manner.

Other objects and advantages of the inventionappear in the following description.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a bottle provided with a dropper stopper in which the invention is incorporated, a portion thereof being broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the bulb used in the dropper stopper structure, a portion thereof being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the bottle cap used in the structure;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View of the dropper tube; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the neck of the bulb approximately on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. 4

Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5 are drawn upon an enlarged scale.

The illustrative embodiment of the invention consists of a bottle cap I preferably threaded onto the neck 2 of a bottle 3. The cap is provided with a liner or gasket 4 disposed within its upper end, and has an axial outwardly flaring opening 5 so made as to provide a radial internal flange B surrounding the inner end of the opening and an annular shoulder l surrounding the upper end thereof to provide a seat.

A hollow flexible rubber bulb 8 having a neck 9 is secured in connection with a glass stopper tube I 0, the bottle cap I and the liner 4, by first inserting the neck through the opening 5 in the top of the cap and the liner and subsequently in whir and frequently the joint yne; Ind., 'assigno'r to Wa n sertingrthe iuppe bore: :1 I tor. the neck; ,The: external diameter: for the: neck 9 ;of thezbui-b. is proportionately greater than -.'-the';-opening-:1through when-flange 6 the and the liner, andthe tlowrigend-refl-the'rmfik re-assumes its natural thicknessbelow the liner? so that a retaining head 9 is thereby formed which prevents the neck upwardly from its position bottle cap and liner, while of the neck is the upper end portion pressed outwardly over the flange 6 in the cap against the shoulder 1. This has the effect of locking the bulb in a firmly seated position in the capthereby preventing the bulb from wobbling or becoming bent over The pressure of the neck inward around the tube and outward against the wall of the openingin the bottle cap and liner is such as to hold all of a the parts firmly together and particularly to keep the bulb lodged in its seat.

In the drawing, the illustrations, Figs. 2 and 4, show the relative sizes of the neck of the bulb' and the dropper tube before assemblage of the parts, and Figs. 3 and 5 show the relative sizes of the neck of the bulb and the opening in the bottle cap before insertion of the neck through the opening, the external diameter of the neck being preferably as great or greater than that of the opening in the cap. After the parts are finally assembled in the manner set forth the dropper stopper constitutes a firm structure made up of parts that substantially resists displacement aswhich inures to the life of well as disassemblage its usefulness.

Variations from the particular construction above disclosed may readilybe made by exercise of engineering skill without departure from the spirit or scope of the i vention, andthe following claims are intended to tions.

What I claim is: a I

1. A dropper stopper for a container constituted of a cap provided with a liner therein and adapted to have connection with a container to close same, said cap having an outwardly flaring seat and opening concentric therewith, a compressible bulb having a neck extending through said opening, the external diameter of said neck being initially as great or greater than the openhroughathemeck is from being withdrawn. in the openings of the and cracked.

be inclusive of such varia:

seated.

2. A dropper stopper for a container constituted of a cap, for closing said container provided with an outwardly flaring seat and opening concentric therewith, a compressible, bulb having a neck extending'throu'gh said opening, the external diameter of said neck being initially as great or greater than said opening, and a dropper tube the external diameter ofwhich is greater than 4. A dropper stopper for a container consisting of a cap for closing'the container and provided with an opening extending through its top, there the initial bore of said neck so the parts when assembled are locked together and the bulb .is

held seated.

15' tuted of a cap for closing 3, A dropper stopper for a containerl consti- T v p I acompressible bulb having a neck provided with tuted of a cap for closing said container and having an axial outwardly flaring seat in its top and I an opening concentric therewith, a liner disposed within the cap "having an opening therein alined withsaid opening, a compressible bulb'having a neck provided with-an axial opening extending ,therethrough, said: neck extending through the cap and linerand'pro truding to a point beyond said liner, and a: dropper tube extending axially through said opening 'and being of greater external-diameterthan'the initial diameter of said opening so the protruding end'of the neck'is expanded beneath .the 'li'nerand the parts when assembled are lockedtogetherr being a radial internal flange at the lower end of said opening and a shoulder encircling the top thereof, a compressible bulb seated on said shoulder and having a hollow neck protruding through said opening, and a dropper tube positioned with one portion extending in the neck and being so proportioned as to compress the neck between the tube, andthe surrounding wall of the opening and to expand theprotruding portion of said neck wherefore to lock the bulb and cap together.

5. A dropper stopper I said container, having an axial opening and surrounding seat in its top,

an axial bore extending therethrough, said neck initially extending loosely through the opening in said cap withits lower end protruding, and a dropper tube extending axially through the bore of the neck past said opening, the size of the .tube being larger than the normal bore of said neck so that when the bulb, cap and tube are assembled, the protruding end of the .neck'is expanded radially outward to form a head, wherefore the assembled parts are locked together.

I 'S'I'EWAR'I' D.- swmm.

for acontainer consti- 

